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Looking for your next favorite? Explore our latest staff picks below. You'll find books and more that are available at the Library, and you just might discover a new favorite. To browse or subscribe to additional newsletters covering titles offered by the Library, click here.
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At the LibraryFresno County Public Library branches are offering curbside and walk-in express services. For details, click here.
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A Walk to Mordor April 1 – May 31 The Library is combining literature and fitness in a new program for everyone: A Walk to Mordor. For details, please visit:
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Eyes That Kiss in the Corners
by Joanna Ho; illustrated by Dung Ho
Recommended by: Thomas W.
One of the best picture books I've read in quite a while! A story about self-discovery and an ode to Asian-shaped eyes, with poetic text and breathtaking art that should definitely win an award (or possibly all the awards).
About the illustrator: Dung Ho's artwork can also be found in the Mindy Kim series of early chapter books.
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See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog
by David LaRochelle; illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
Recommended by: Thomas W.
You know this isn't your typical early reader when the title is See the Cat and there's a dog on the cover. This one has it all: humor, suspense, an uncooperative narrator, and a true underdog that kids will root for.
Did you know? See the Cat won the Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader of 2020.
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The Mysterious Howling
by Maryrose Wood; illustrated by Jon Klassen
Recommended by: Ashlee G.
A governess is summoned to care for three children who have been raised by wolves—literally. Mysteries and hilarity ensue. Great on audio. Perfect for a family read-aloud.
Series alert: This book kicks off the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series, and the story continues in The Hidden Gallery.
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Skyward
by Brandon Sanderson
Recommended by: Jeff P.
An excellent young adult take on a desperate last stand for humanity against a seemingly endless wave of alien invasions, from the author of the Mistborn series.
Series alert: For more sci-fi adventure and intrigue, check out the sequel, Starsight.
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A Man & His Cat
by Umi Sakurai
Recommended by: Catticus Finch
Do you like cats? Books that deliver all the feels? Humor and whimsy in ample quantities? Some or all of the above? If so, you'll definitely want to cat-apult this manga series straight to the top of your reading list.
What happens: A lonely cat keeps getting passed over at the shelter due to his not-conventionally-cute appearance. An equally lonely widower drops by the shelter, adopts the cat, and names him Fukumaru. Will the man and his cat find what they both seek... in each other? (Spoilers: Yes. It's heartwarming to the max.)
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Hamnet
by Maggie O'Farrell
Recommended by: Alyssa F.
Ever wonder what Shakespeare's home-life was like? This novel explores the love, family, grief, and loss that shaped the writing of one of his greatest plays.
Book buzz: Just last month, Hamnet won the National Book Critics Circle Award for the best English novel of 2020.
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The Raven Tower
by Ann Leckie
Recommended by: Angelique B.
In an alternating first-person and second-person point of view, the compelling narrator tells a complex story about gods and their people.
About the author: This is the first epic fantasy from Ann Leckie, who has received several awards and honors for her science fiction.
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The Twisted Ones
by T. Kingfisher
Recommended by: James T.
A folk horror novel with some genuine scares. This one takes some twists and turns and has a unique ending.
Want a taste? "Bongo is an excellent watchdog, by which I mean that he will watch very alertly as the serial killer breaks into the house and skins me."
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Leading Men
by Christopher Castellani
Recommended by: Benjamin L.
The setup: Weaving fact and fiction, Castellani reimagines the relationship between playwright Tennessee Williams and his longtime partner Frank Merlo.
Reviewers say: "A timeless and heartbreaking love story" (Celeste Ng).
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Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower
by Tamsyn Muir; narrated by Moira Quirk
Recommended by: Thomas W.
In this eAudiobook for Libby and OverDrive, a witch traps Princess Floralinda at the top of a multi-floor tower (it was nothing personal—that's just the sort of thing witches do), and each level is guarded by a different monster. When none of the princes who come to the rescue are able to get past the very first floor (on account of the diamond-scaled dragon that lives there), Floralinda takes matters into her own hands...
About the author: Tamsyn Muir made a splash with her 2019 debut, Gideon the Ninth—the first volume in a truly unique fantasy series about necromancers in space.
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The Girl Who Came Home
by Hazel Gaynor
Recommended by: Billie Jo R.
The setup: In 1912, seventeen-year-old Maggie Murphy journeys from her home in Ireland to America, aboard the RMS Titanic. In a parallel storyline set in 1980s Chicago, the now-aging Maggie shares the secrets of that fateful voyage with her great-granddaughter Grace.
You might also like: The sweeping historical fiction of Susan Meissner or Kristin Harmel.
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The Brothers K
by David James Duncan
Recommended by: Lisa L.
Hippies, religion, war and baseball are folded into an epic family drama. This is truly the Great American Novel!
Want a taste? "I started having doubts right on top of my certainty."
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The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
by Aimee Bender
Recommended by: Rene P.
Starring: Rose Edelstein, who has an unusual "gift"—she can literally taste the emotions of others when she eats food they've prepared.
For fans of: Magical realism, literary fiction, and unique coming-of-age stories.
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Just One Damned Thing After Another
by Jodi Taylor
Recommended by: Penny H.
The first of the series, The Chronicles of St. Mary's. Time travel can be exciting and way too dangerous.
Want a taste? "The screaming redoubled. You put dinosaurs and people together, you always get screaming."
Series alert: If you enjoyed this light-hearted romp through time with the historians of St. Mary's, don't miss the sequel, A Symphony of Echoes.
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Hornswoggled
by Donis Casey
Recommended by: Penny H.
An Alafair Tucker mystery set in Oklahoma in the early 1900s and part of an enjoyable series.
Bonus! Readers will find an appendix of the main character's down-home recipes.
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Whispers Under Ground
by Ben Aaronovitch
Recommended by: Penny H.
Part of the Rivers of London fantasy series which has Peter Grant as an English policeman who deals with magic of the Harry Potter variety and includes cheeky humor along with mayhem.
Series alert: This is the third book in this popular urban fantasy saga. You can find the opening volume, Midnight Riot, by clicking here.
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The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden
by Catherynne M. Valente; illustrated by Michael Kaluta
Recommended by: Micah M.
One part Arabian Nights and one part Grimm's Fairy Tales. The author's beautiful use of language brings the voices of the various storytellers to life.
Want a taste? "Never put your faith in a Prince. When you require a miracle, trust in a Witch."
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Greenlights
by Matthew McConaughey
Recommended by: John B.
Matthew does a fantastic job reminiscing about his life experiences. The entertainment of this book was extraordinary. He tells the story so well you feel like you are reliving every moment with him. I found myself with some full belly laughter and kept wanting more Greenlights.
Don't miss: The audiobook, narrated by the inimitable McConaughey.
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Humankind: A Hopeful History
by Rutger Bregman
Recommended by: Zach C.
The premise: Bregman makes the case that people aren't so bad after all—rather, we're hardwired for kindness, cooperation, and trust. Throughout, the author presents case studies and surveys a range of disciplines.
Want a taste? "It's when crisis hits—when the bombs fall or the floodwaters rise—that we humans become our best selves."
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Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death
by Caitlin Doughty; illustrated by Dianné Ruz
Recommended by: Joy S.
Gross? Yes. Morbid? Yes. Interesting? Absolutely!!! Ms. Doughty shares answers to questions only a mortician would know. She handles the questions with sensitivity and candor.
The audiobook... features pitch-perfect narration by the author.
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Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments: Intimate Histories of Social Upheaval
by Saidiya Hartman
Recommended by: Benjamin L.
What it is: An examination of the ways in which urban Black women lived life on their own terms in the early 20th century.
Reviewers say: "This passionate, poetic retrieval of women from the footnotes of history is a superb literary achievement" (Publishers Weekly).
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Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942
by Ian W. Toll
Recommended by: Mark B.
First volume in a trilogy about naval combat in the Pacific. This volume covers Pearl Harbor through Midway.
Reviewers say: "So good it reads like a novel . . . If you like accessible, highly readable history, this is a great choice" (Rick Riordan).
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Borderland Apocrypha
by Anthony Cody
Recommended by: James T.
Fresno Poet Anthony Cody brings us this award-winning book of poetry. It was nominated for a National Book Award.
What sets it apart: This book's inventive design makes it unique among poetry collections.
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Peninsula
Recommended by: Joy S.
Peninsula is an action/horror film. It is the stand-alone sequel to Train to Busan. Peninsula highlights the importance of solid family ties, filial responsibility and kindness when everything else in the world is falling apart. There is violence and gore—but the juxtaposition of love and sacrifice really sets it apart from other films in this genre.
Looking for the first film in the series? Click here to find Train to Busan in our catalog.
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Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
Recommended by: Benjamin L.
What it's about: A Czech teen finds herself in a surreal fantasyland of vampires and other threats in this enigmatic coming-of-age film.
For fans of: The dreamlike movies of David Lynch.
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Tower
Recommended by: Michelle G.
A documentary that mixes animation and live-action to tell the true story about America's first mass school shooting at the University of Texas in 1966.
Reviewers say: "A gripping examination of human bravery and frailty" (Salon).
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Best of Europe
Recommended by: Wendy K.
This is a six-DVD set highlighting beautiful places, art, music, dance, history, and scenery throughout Europe. A must-see! Great education, and an opportunity to travel from the sofa.
Topics of note: The Renaissance architecture of Florence, the world-class cuisine of France's Burgundy region, Jane Austen's house in England, the ancient underground tombs of Tuscany, and much more.
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